The present disclosure herein relates to a flash memory, and, more particularly, to an indexing scheme for a flash memory.
Flash memory devices are non-volatile memory devices that do not require power to retain information stored in the memory chip. In addition, although not as fast as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices that are used as the main memories for personal computers, flash memory devices offer generally fast read speeds and better shock resistance than hard disks. Due to these characteristics, flash memories are widely used as storage devices in battery-operated devices. Another feature of flash memories is their virtual indestructibility against physical elements such as extreme pressure and boiling water.
Flash memory devices are non-volatile computer memory devices capable of electrically erasing and rewriting data. Unlike electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROM), flash memory devices are capable of erasing and writing in block units. Because flash memory devices cost less than EEPROMs, they are generally used wherever a significant amount of non-volatile, solid state storage is needed. Representative applications include digital audio players, digital cameras, and mobile phones. Flash memory devices are also used in USB drives that are widely used for general data storage and transfer of data between computers.
Increasing the speed of hard disks is structurally difficult because they mechanically drive magnetic disks to read/write data. Ongoing efforts have recently begun to use flash memories instead of hard disks as large capacity storage devices. In particular, when a boot code is stored in a flash memory device, the booting speed of the system becomes faster.